mD) but the result was not encouraging. Oloibiri-17 was plugged and abandoned. The field production was on depletion from its peak production and the well was drilled to appraisal another section of the field so as to increase production. Another appraisal well Oloibiri-18 was spudded on 21 April 1979 and drilled to a vertical depth of 9616 feet (2931 m) but the result was also discouraging. The field was almost depleted at that time. The main objective of the Oloibiri-18 was to appraise a new section and improve the drainage of the reservoir but the well was dry with shows and so it was plugged and abandoned. Development Following the successful completion of the appraisal of the field, four development wells were drilled in 1958 (between 17 June 1958 and 27 November 1958) for the development of the field. The four development wells and the six successful appraisal wells were completed as oil production wells. The discovery well, Oloibiri-1 was completed on 5 June 1956 as a commercial oil production well. Thus, Oloibiri-1 made history as the first truly commercial oil well in Nigeria. This brings the number of completed production wells on field to eleven. Production The field started oil production between late 1957 and early 1958 and the first oil production from the field came at the rate of . The field produced at an average rate of of oil per day for the first year. The production increased thereafter as more wells were completed and put onto production and reached its peak in 1964. The field was drained from eleven production wells. The oil produced from the field is sour and heavy and has an API of 20.6. The gas produced with the oil was flared off as a result of lack of gas processing and utilisation facility in the country then, so the gas was not considered necessary. Royal Dutch Shell laid the first crude oil pipeline in the country from the Oloibiri field to Port Harcourt on Bonny River to access export facilities. Nigeria exported its first crude oil in February 1958 from the Oloibiri oil field, initially at the rate of . The oil was being pumped from the field via the country's first pipeline, laid by Shell. The Oloibiri oilfield produced over of oil during its 20 years life cycle. Oil production finally stopped in 1978 and the field was abandoned the same